Lafayette l



L. L. TREMAN.

Gas Meter.

Patented octfze, 1880.

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PATENT LAFAYETTE L. TREMAN, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK.

GAS-M ETE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,645, dated October26, 1880.

Application ined April 23, i886. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE L. TREMAN, ofIthaca, Tompkins county, New York, have invented an Improved Gas-Meter,whereof the following is a specification.

My meter has an outer case, which contains a fluid, in which revolvesthe'ordinary measuring-drum,which I pivot to the frame, partiallyinclosing it, and which frame and drum I float by means ofone or moreair-chambers attached to or making a part of the frame, for the purposeof maintaining a constant level of the Huid in the measuring-drum, bethe height or quantity of fluid in the outer case what it may, a levelthat cannot be always the sanle in a meter as usually constructed. Themeans by which I accomplish this will be apparent as I describe myinvention. v

Figure lis a side elevation of my meter, lookin gon the frontof themeter and drum, the front wall of the case being removed, with a portionof the entrance-pipe and a portion of the gasseal or the outer tubeV ofthe variable register shaft. Fig. 2 is the left-hand end elevation of mymeter, the left-hand end wall being removed, and the shaft-seal being insection, and a part of the left-hand division of the upper part of theair-iioat being cut away to show the screw-thread on the drum-shaft, thelower register cog-wheel, and the cup-cavity for the shaft-seal moreperfectly.

All parts of my invention are perfectly clear and to be understood byFig. 2 alone, were there no other gures; but to make perfect clearnessand perspicuity more clear l add the remaining gures, in which- Fig. 3is a view of that very common art, a sliding` stud between two ways;Fig. 4, an enlarged view of the measuring-drum, with gasentrance pipe inthe gas-space, between the usual curved front wall and the usualpartitionwall of the drum. rThe gas-pipe is shown fast to the front ofthe outer case, which it perforates. Fig. 5 is a view of the upper partof the entrance-pipe fast to the frame B, and rising and falling withthe frame and drum, and the lower part to the outer case, and a piece ofiexible or rubber pipe connects the two ends of the entrance-pipe, whichis another adaptation of the entrance-pipe to the main object I 5o havein View, and it is apparent how it acts. Fig. 6 shows the very commonart of making a slip-jointed shaft, as is also perfectly clearly seen inFigs. l and 2. The cup-cavity beneath the cog s and the air-chamber tolioat the drum, made of the parts c c c, and the projections r r', tostop the drum if the iiuid gets too high, and the projections m and n,to stop the drum if'too low, are all clearly seen in Figs. l and 2.

In the figures, A A A is the outer gas and 6o liuid tight case, havingthe slide or guide ways fast to the inside of it, one on each end of thecase near its top, and one on each ofthe ends near the bottom, makingfour such slideways, and theyare inclined because the gas-entrance pipemust enter thel central aperture of the drum obliquely, and their angleof inclination suits the angle of the entrance-pipe; and B B is theframe to which the measuring-drum is journaled,as seen in Figs.l and 2.This frame 7o is made of the air-chamber@ beneath the drum, and has thetwo divided portions c on the right hand of the shaft of the drum, theentrance-pipe and registering-shaft and lower cog and the other portion,c, on the left hand of these just-named parts. The shape of cf and c isshown to be rectangular and perpendicularly arranged until near theirtops, when they flare outward, as shown in Fig. 2, somewhat like aboat-side, to insure the ready buoy- 8o ancy and adjustment of thewater-level in the drum.

C is the drum that measures the gas, and it' has the central aperture,d, through which thev gas-entrance pipe goes, which aperture is no waydifferent from that long in public use, except, perhaps, it is made alittle larger in diameter. In the drum is the usual gasspace between theconvex cap or head d and the section-wall d. These parts are also old 9ostructures long in public use. The measuringsections are notrepresented, nor the arrangements of the longitudinal gas-entrance slitsthat let the gas into the sections, because they are old, wellunderstood, and are unchanged 95 by my use of them. The usualscrew-thread is on the shaft of the drum in the usual place, and itplays in the usual cog, s, in the usual manner. By the side-preferablythe lefthand side, as seen in Fig. l--the gas-entrance pipe goes intothe aperture d, and it is for this pipe, as well as the registering`devices there, that the upper part of the air-chamber c is divided intoe and c.

The entrance-pipe is made ofthe outer part, F, the horizontal part ff,that pierces the case, and the inclined part f, all clearly seen inFigs. 2 and 4, and it will be apparent that if I iloat the drum theentrance-pipe can utilize only the space between the water-level D ofthe drum, near the aperture d and the top of the drum, and to do this inthis space of several inches the part-fll ofthe entrancepipe must beinclined, which, as I have said, compels the ways a a a a to beinclined, in which the studs b b b b move. At the base of theentrance-pipe is the drip-cham-` ber F.

By the figures it is clear that the air-chamber c is made of the largechamber e beneath the drum, the shape of which is plainly shown, and ofthe two divisions c and c", which give an excess of air, to producemotion at all times beyond the friction and other contingencies of thedrum, its frame, lower registering screw-thread and cog, and theslide-joint of the registering-shaft t'. It is apparent that this shapeof the air-chamber is not absolutely essential-as, for example, roundfloats might he on the sides of the frame and not beneath the drum, orangular (base upward) iioats, or other shapes, yet all attached directlyto the frame, and with au excess of floating power suicient to fix thelevel line D of the drum accurately.

By the exit E the upper fluid-level is fixed, and by the inlet Vtheiiuid is poured `in the meter.

The line D is the fluid-level of the drum,

- and varies, in respect to the meter-case, with the quantity of fluidin the meter. The iiuid inlet and exit sets the line D to coincide withthe line E.

If the line D rises much above the line E, the stop r', fast to thedrum, strikes the stop r, fast to the case, and the drum stops, and nogas can be used. If the line D falls with the frame and drum thatcontrol it too far below the line E, the projection or stop m strikesthe projection or stop a, and that stops the drum, and no gas can beused. It is also apparent that the use of a flexible or rubber tube,spoken of above between the parts of the entrance-pipe relieves themeter of the inclined ways and allows them to be perpendicular.

If the drum floats at variable levels, then it is a matter of necessitythat the shaft 17, connecting the lower cog, s, with the screw-threadonthe top of the shaft, be variable, aswell as that the shaft besurrounded bya gas-seal. For this purpose I divide this shaft, leavingthe lowerpart with the cog-wheel son it, and the upper part with thescrew-thread x on it, and that it may revolve, and yet be variable inlength, I put about this divided shaft the tube or sleeve i', fast tothe upper part of the shaft and loose about the lower part of the shaft;and in the lower part I put a stud, i, playing in a slot in the sleeve-avery common mechanical expedient, that needs no further explanation.rIhe reason of this variable length of the shaft i is, that the drum mayfloat at varied levels and the register on the top of the meter bestationary; and i is the gas seal or pipe that incloses the divided andsleeved shaft t'. Its top is fast to the case A, and its base is beneaththe line D at all times, and it is merely not to let the gas leak out ofthe meter. To give it this length the seal or tube must go lower thanthe cog-wheel s, as that wheel is usually placed, and also through thatwheel. Hence I make a cupshaped cavity, s', beneath that wheel, as isshown.

Except the wheel for feet, no part of the register is shown.

The part B of the frame extends above the air-chamber, as seen in Figs.l and 2, to give support to the studs b b, as well as brace the frame.

The drip-collector F is outside the meter. The pipe F opens into it.

Other parts familiar to those who make meters or understand them need noremark, as I have explained all changes I have made in the constructionof my meter. Advantages and uses are apparent to those familiar with theart to which it appertains.

I do not claim to be the first who made a iioating measuring-drum, northe first who made an adjustable device between the measuring-drum andregister-cogs; but

1. A measuring-drum, C, fixed by its journals to a floating frame, B,which drum and fra-me are iioated by the air chamber or chambers c, fastto the frame, combined and arranged substantially as set forth.

2. The floating frame B, having studs b proj ectin g from it into theguideways a, fast to the outer case, A, in which the studs move, incombination with the air-chamber c, and which frame and its drum C arethus guided in their rise and fall, as set forth.

3. The variable joint between the two divided ends of thegas-registering shaft t', one having the sleeve i fast to it, and theother the stud i fast to it, which stud plays in the slot in the sleeve,and thus makes adjustment of the variable distances between the cogwheelfast to the frame B and the meter registering-cogs, as set forth.

4. A gas-meter constructed of an outer gas and iiuid tight case, A,frame B, floated by the air chamber or chambers c, fast to or part IOOIIO

of the frame, the air-chambers e, drum C, inlet-pipe F, and jointedshaft i', combined and operating as set forth.

5. The arm or stop m on the end of the 5 drum-shaft, and operating, inconnection with the stop n, for stopping the drum when the luid gets too10W in the meter, as set forth.

6. The stud r, fast to the ease A, and the stop r', fast to the drum C,for stopping the 1o drum when the iiuid is too high in the meter,

as set forth.

7. The cup-shaped cavity beneath the oogwheel s, for aiding the gas-seali when the uid is high in the meter, as set forth.

8. The drip-collecting outside receptacle, F', 15 at the base of thegas-entrance tube F, for re-A ceiving the fluids and overflow of thetube, as set forth.

LAFAYETTE L. TREMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL J. PARKER, J. PARKHURST.

